This story is based on an interview with Erin Vlack, 48, a pharmaceutical supply chain consultant living in Valencia, Spain. It has been edited for length and clarity.
In April last year, two months after leaving my steady job in pharmaceuticals, I was in discussion with another company about a full-time position.
It was tempting to accept the senior directorship they offered, but I dismissed the idea at the last minute.
My 25-year-old son, Gavin, was studying medicine in Spain, and I missed him so much. “What if I moved to Europe to be with him?” I asked myself.
I spoke to immigration lawyers
I reached out to immigration lawyers that very afternoon. I’m a great believer in striking when the iron is hot, before excuses creep in.
Now, just over 12 months later, I’m renting a three-bedroom house less than 20 minutes away from Gavin in Valencia, the happiest and healthiest I’ve ever been.
Still, I’m no stranger to reinvention. A decade ago, at 5ft 5in, I weighed 430 pounds — 280 pounds overweight for my height — and wore size 28 clothing. I struggled to catch my breath when I did anything active, like taking my kid to the park.
Both my parents died within a year of each other, and I binged and comfort ate out of grief. I was a single mom, and there were financial issues that left me unable to afford fresh food all the time.
I’d buy things from Walmart and the Dollar Store, which weren’t very healthy. Before long, I looked in the mirror and thought, “Oh my God, what have you done to your body?”
I had a mastectomy
The shock was enough to make me follow the Keto diet and start exercising. I lost 172 pounds before having gastric bypass surgery in 2022, which helped me get down to 140 pounds and size six jeans.
In 2024, I had a bilateral mastectomy and reconstruction because breast cancer runs in both sides of my family.
But the biggest change by far was selling my home near Raleigh, North Carolina, donating my property to charity, and arriving at the airport in Madrid with three suitcases.
I quickly found my bearings and my house with Gavin’s assistance. I traveled on a so-called “non-lucrative visa,” which means you come to Spain with only your passive income and savings.
Now, I’m waiting to convert to a highly qualified, high-value immigrant status that will allow me to be a digital nomad.
I’m fluent in Spanish now
As soon as I get my new visa, I’ll plow my energy into the clinical trials supply company I founded. It feels exciting to be working for myself.
I’m in it for the duration and plan to stay in Spain, where I’m fluent in the language, until I can apply for long-term residency. The only things I really miss about the US are my friends and my sports car.
It’s great to be so close to Gavin again. Although he’s busy with his studies, we make time for meals and hugs.
We recently returned from a weekend trip when we talked, cooked, and enjoyed a couple of glasses of wine.
Food here is healthy
Everything is easygoing here. You’ll walk through a plaza where a group of kids is playing while parents enjoy a coffee and casually kick the ball back to them.
The produce is fresh, and people walk everywhere. I look after my health by going to the gym six times a week and doing yoga outside on my terrace.
Every morning, I wake to the magnificent views of the mountains near the city. I’ve never felt more content and settled in my life.
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